


Pools and Parties

by addinnet



Category: The Great Gatsby (1974), The Great Gatsby (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Daisy Fay Buchanan - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gay Male Character, High School, Inspired by The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker - Freeform, M/M, Modern Era, Nick Carraway - Freeform, Pansexual Character, Romantic Fluff, Slow Burn, Tom Buchanan - Freeform, jay gatsby - Freeform, natsby - Freeform, romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-03-07 05:00:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18866218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addinnet/pseuds/addinnet
Summary: After a good half an hour of studying every detail of his neighbor's backyard, someone appeared. Out of the back door of the big house and onto the stunning patio stepped a handsome young man. Nick was instantly transfixed. Forgetting his homework altogether, Nick watched intently as the young man walked to the edge of the pool.He squatted beside the water and put a hand out toward it. Nick saw his finger barely skim the surface before being yanked away. The young man stood up abruptly and he backed away from the pool. Nick watched disappointedly as his good looking neighbor hurried back inside, leaving him with nothing but a pool to watch and homework to finish._________________A modern highschool AU_________________





	1. Nick’s First Day

Nick hadn't even been there for ten minutes and he already hated it. Hallways that carried the stench of desperation were no longer surprising to him. What did surprise him was the overwhelming aura of belonging that seemed to carry through the air.

 

Normally, one would love to feel as if they belonged. But the belonging at East Prep was more threatening to Nick than reassuring. Each clique was so perfectly placed that even the slightest glance might have caused them to fall apart. And the fall of one might have lead to the destruction of the fragile social pyramid that kept the student body together.

 

Needless to say, Nick spoke to no one as he searched for his locker.

 

The school was abuzz with conversations of events that occurred over the winter break. Nick searched through the chaos for his locker. He found it on the second floor in a line up of lockers between a boy's restroom and a science lab. The combination he'd scrawled onto his palm earlier that morning was now smudged by sweat. After a few failed attempts, Nick finally heard the lock click and his locker door swung open.

 

As various school supplies began to fill his locker, an unholy squeal interrupted Nick. From the other side of his locker door, a girl appeared wearing an expression that could only be described as overly enthusiastic. Startled, Nick jumped backward.

 

"Nick!" the girl squealed. She leaped toward him. Nearly knocking him over in an attempt at a hug, the girl continued to speak in a shrill, breathless voice that Nick found difficult to understand.

 

"Ohmygod Nick! It's so good to see you I haven't seen you in forever I'm so happy you're here you're going to love it here." The girl pulled away from him and took a moment to catch her breath. Nick took a step backward, not wanting another surprise hug.

 

It took him a few moments to realize he was looking at his cousin, Daisy.

 

Daisy Fay Carraway was a short girl of only 5'4, with straight blonde locks that barely touched her shoulders. It was the perfect length to frame her pretty face. She carried herself confidently and with a glow that seemed to brighten the hallway. Nick blinked, barely recognizing his once thought to be "shy" cousin.

 

"Hey," Nick said, praying she hadn't noticed his hesitation. He opened his mouth to speak again but was quickly cut off.

 

"It's been so long!" Daisy exclaimed. "How is everything? The city is great, isn't it? Where are you staying..."

 

Daisy twisted the dial on the locker next to Nick's and threw open the door. So their lockers were next to each other? Nick should have guessed, with them having the same last name and all.

 

Nick finished putting his things away just in time to realize that Daisy was still talking. She kicked her door closed and turned to Nick. Seeing that he was also done, she took the liberty of also kicking his door shut.

 

"What's your first period?" Daisy asked. Another squeal from Daisy interrupted Nick's answer.

 

Daisy threw her hand in the air and started waving it frantically in the air.

 

"Tom!" she yelled. Her gaze was on someone behind Nick. He looked over his shoulder to see a very angry looking guy advancing toward him. Nick instinctively took a step backward. This step brought him into contact with the lockers. Realizing there was no escape, Nick looked to Daisy for help.

 

"Tom!" Daisy squealed in delight. She rushed over to greet the angry guy, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. "There's someone I want you to meet." Daisy grabbed him by the hand and pulled him over to where Nick was standing against the lockers.

 

"Tom, this is my cousin Nick!" Daisy explained. "He just moved into town right before Christmas. Nick, this is my boyfriend Tom!"

 

Daisy's bright, sunny glow was suddenly no match for the aggressiveness of Tom.

 

Nick wasn't afraid to admit that Tom was intimidating. He studied Nick with a pair of piercing blue eyes that sent chills now his spine. Whatever Tom was deciding about him, Nick could tell it wasn't good.

 

Yet, Nick was afraid to admit that even though Daisy and Tom gave off opposite energies, he still saw why Daisy made chosen him as a boyfriend. Tom was extremely attractive and there was no denying that.

 

Adding to his chaotic presence was his casually pushed back hair that made Nick's breath catch. His chiseled cheeks and jaw seemed almost impossibly perfect for someone his age. If Tom had smiled at Nick instead of glared, Nick didn't know if he'd still be standing upright.

 

But instead of smiling, Tom simply nodded in greeting.

 

"Hey," he said. Nick swallowed hard.

 

"Hey," he answered. A small voice crack on the vowel made Nick's remaining confidence evaporate. Looking bored with him already, Tom turned to Daisy.

 

"I missed you over break," Tom said monotonously. For whatever reason, Nick found that hard to believe. Whether Daisy doubted Tom, Nick couldn't tell, as she kept a continuous grin while Tom slipped his arm over her shoulders.

 

"Aw," she gushed. "I missed you too." She leaned her head on his shoulder and flashed a proud smile at Nick. "Tom's captain of the basketball team! Do you play-"

 

The first bell cut her off. This made Daisy frown.

 

"Oh never mind," she huffed. "You two can talk later." She grabbed Tom by the shirt collar and pulled him down to her eye level. If might have been an act of affection to Daisy, but Tom looked utterly repulsed but it. "I'm going to walk Nick to class, okay? I'll see you later?"

 

In an annoyed voice, Tom responded "yeah". His girlfriend rewarded him with a quick peck and he stormed off down the hallway.

 

"He seems like a cool guy," Nick said once Tom was out of earshot. He watched Daisy's boyfriend disappear down the hallway. Tom's extremely well-defined shoulders moved effortlessly under his shirt as he stomped away. Nick forced himself to look away once he realized he was staring.

 

"He's..." Daisy searched for the best word. "Tom. Just. Tom. And sorry if he came off a little weird today. He's in one of his moods."

 

"Mhmm," Nick agreed, though he wasn't quite sure what that meant.

 

"So what's your homeroom?"

 

"My schedule said Room 192."

 

"Ooo! I have a friend in there! Come on, you'll love her!"

 

Love wasn't the word Nick would have used. Upon walking Nick downstairs to his class, Daisy pointed out a girl sitting at the front of the classroom.

 

"That's Jordan," Daisy explained. "Come on!" She grabbed Nick by the arm and pulled him into the classroom. Jordan looked up as they approached her desk.

 

"Yes?" Jordan asked, cocking an eyebrow at Daisy and ignoring Nick completely. Daisy slammed one hand down on Jordan's desk, to which Jordan didn't flinch at, and tugged on Nick's arm.

 

"This is Nick."

 

"And?"

 

"And he's my cousin. Just moved into town."

 

Jordan's eyes slowly drifted over to Nick. She was a slender, dark haired girl with an upturned nose and narrow eyes. She seemed fully aware that she was better than everyone in every way possible. Her bored expression and strict posture made that very clear. Just like Tom, Jordan was incredibly intimidating.

 

She openly studied him from head to toe. Unlike Tom, who simply sizing him up, Jordan seemed to be assessing every aspect of Nick's being. He couldn't decide which experience had been worse to endure.

 

"Nice to meet you," Jordan finally said. Nick assumed that she'd decided he was worthy of her attention.

 

"Since Nick's new in town," explained Daisy. "He-"

 

"He can sit beside me." Jordan nodded at the desk to the right her. Though it was not in Nick's best interest to sit at the front of the classroom, Daisy nodded like Jordan had read her mind.

 

"Awesome! Thanks Jordan!" Daisy winked at Nick as she left. Nick turned back to Jordan and gave her a sheepish wave.

 

"Hey," he said.

 

"Jordan Baker," Jordan said, holding her hand out to him. Nick shook it and then took his seat. "So you're Daisy's cousin? How are you two related?"

 

"Uh, well- we're second cousins..."

 

"Huh, really? Cool. Have you met Tom yet? He's her boyfriend."

 

"Yeah, I just met him in the hallway."

 

"Oh, okay. You know he's got another girlfriend, right?"

 

"I'm sorry, what?!"

 

The final bell rang and Jordan turned her attention to the front of the classroom. The rest of the class had settled in and the teacher was beginning to speak.

 

"He's got a girl at West High." Jordan kept staring straight ahead as she spoke to Nick. "You'd find out eventually. Everyone knows."

 

"Daisy knows?"

 

"I did say everyone, didn't I?"

 

The class was unusually unbearable. Everyone sat restlessly for fifty minutes as the teacher struggled through a math lesson that was far too long for Nick's liking. His next period wasn't much better. Nor was the one after that.

 

Nick found himself back in class with Jordan for his last period. He was thankful for this because the science classroom required students to sit in pairs of two.

 

"Is anyone sitting here?" Nick asked Jordan, nodding at the chair next to her. Jordan shrugged. Nick took this as a "no" and sat down next to her.

 

"Have you heard of Jay yet?" Jordan asked.

 

"What?"

 

"Jay Gatsby."

 

"Who?"

 

"My god Nick. Do you even talk to people?"

 

"Uh- not really. Not yet."

 

Jordan groaned and rolled her eyes over dramatically. It was clear that Nick's lack of socializing annoyed her, but Nick couldn't quite figure out why she felt this way.

 

"Well, then I guess I'll just have to tell you everything then. Since you'll never know anything otherwise, right? Jay Gatsby. He's the most popular guy in school. Everyone gets invited to his parties on Saturday night." She seemed exasperated at Nick's lack of knowledge in all things West High. Nick failed to work up the courage to remind her that it was only his first day there.

 

Jordan continued to talk and gossip about various relationships, parties, and Jay Gatsby for the rest of the period. Nick had heard enough about it all by the time the dismissal bell finally rang. He was almost disappointed when Jordan insisted on walking him to his locker.

 

Nick remembered where his locker was, but even if he didn't, he'd have no trouble finding it. A small crowd had gathered around his locker. In the center of it all were Daisy and Tom. Their voices carried down the hallway. From what Nick could tell, they were arguing.

 

"It doesn't even matter!" Tom was saying.

 

"Uh, no. It does matter," Daisy countered. "Firstly, you should know better Tom. But clearly, you don't. Secondly, regardless of whether you want to enable him, you did."

 

Jordan quickly joined the crowd, unabashedly excited to hear their quarrel, and Nick joined her, as he was too scared to try and reach his locker.

 

"So?" Tom asked. He crossed his arms defiantly. Nick couldn't help but notice how his muscles bulged under his sleeves.

 

"So your an ass for not stopping him. Just because you didn't say anything racist doesn't mean you're not at fault. You didn't tell Chester to stop. You didn't apologize to George. You didn't do anything!"

 

Tom was fuming with rage. It appeared to Nick that he could explode at any moment. But Daisy put her hands on her hips, clearly refusing to step down. After a quick glance around the crowd, Tom took a deep breath.

 

"Daisy," he said in an uncharacteristically soothing voice.

 

"Don't Daisy me!"

 

"Daisy, I-"

 

"Don't!"

 

"You know what, forget it!" Tom snapped. "Damn it Daisy, you're such a-" His voice faltered with another glance at the group around them. Throwing one last glare at his girlfriend, Tom stormed off down the hallway. The crowd dispersed in his wake.

 

Nick made a break for his locker while he still made the chance.

 

"What was that?" Jordan asked Daisy as Nick started to pack for home.

 

"Nothing."

 

"That didn't seem like-"

 

"It was nothing Jordan, okay?"

 

"Fine." Being if in the dark didn't please her, but Jordan waited for Daisy to finish at her locker.

 

"Did you have a great first day?" Daisy asked Nick once she finished. Nick nodded. He was certain his day hadn't been "great", but judging by what he'd just seen, neither had Daisy's.

 

"Awesome!" Daisy shouldered her backpack and gave Nick a quick hug. "See you tomorrow!" She then grabbed Jordan Baker by the elbow and pulled her along down the hallway and out of Nick's sight.

 

Nick shoved the last of his books into his backpack and closed his locker, thus ending his first day at East Prep.

 

It was underwhelming, to say the least. All the excitement that came with starting over at a new school seemed to have worn off around the fourth or fifth time Nick had enrolled at a new one.

 

At least he had people to be around. He didn't need to talk to them, or even like them, but Nick was sure he'd go insane by himself. He had no interest in being alone with his own thoughts.

 

But of course, the world had other plans. Nick spend his walk home alone with nothing but his own thoughts. Thoughts about Daisy and her glow that Nick knew would continue bringing a smile to his face. Thoughts of Tom and how he treated Daisy. Thoughts of Jordan Baker, the girl who seemed to know everyone's business and wanted to keep it that way.

 

These thoughts motivated Nick to walk faster. He reached his house in record time. A small suburban in a rich neighborhood stuck out like a sore thumb, but it's what Nick would be calling home for the time being.

 

He fumbled his keys before finally unlocking the door. As he pushed it open, the only household member that would probably ever be waiting for him after school greeted him. His dog.

 

Capone was a sort of beagle mix. Nick wasn't really sure what the mix was, but it didn't really matter.

 

"Hey girl," Nick said in a babyish voice that he saved especially for Capone. He knelt down to scoop up the dog in his arms. Capone wiggled and squirmed to find the best angle to lick at Nick's cheeks. "Hey there. Ya miss me? Yeah? Well, I missed you too."

 

Nick kicked the front door shut behind him and carried the beagle up to his bedroom. No one else was home, typical of Nick's family. He had no siblings that still lived with them. His parents were off on business, as per usual. So Nick had the house all to himself, whether he liked it or not.

 

Nick set Capone down on his bed and dropped his backpack down next to her.

 

"I've already got an essay for English due next Monday," Nick explained to his dog. "And it's only my first day. Is that fucked up or what?" Capone replied with an enthusiastic bark. "I know right!"

 

Nick pulled out his homework and settled onto the bed. Capone fell asleep at his feet as he began to work.

 

But as the work grew boring, and the sky grew dark, Nick's mind started to wander. He checked his phone every five seconds for... well, for anything. Anything at all. He studied a curious stain on his ceiling that he hadn't noticed before. He looked out of his bedroom window, which had an excellent view of his neighbor's pool. Living in a rich neighborhood, Nick excepted large houses, with pools and the works. And his neighbor's home was no different.

 

After a good half an hour of studying every detail of his neighbor's backyard, someone appeared. Out of the back door of the big house and onto the stunning patio stepped a handsome young man. Nick was instantly transfixed. Forgetting his homework altogether, Nick watched intently as the young man walked to the edge of the pool.

 

He squatted beside the water and put a hand out toward it. Nick saw his finger barely skim the surface before being yanked away. The young man stood up abruptly and he backed away from the pool. Nick watched disappointedly as his good looking neighbor hurried back inside, leaving him with nothing but a pool to watch and homework to finish.


	2. Tom’s Other Girlfriend

Daisy had given Nick's phone number to Tom without his permission. Nick found this out Wednesday afternoon when Tom texted him about hanging out that night. Immediately, he texted Daisy. Daisy called him to explain.

"I just thought that you guys could be friends or something," Daisy said.

"God, Daisy! I've only talked to him, like, twice. And now he wants me to go play basketball with some of his friends! Do you even know these people?!"

"Um... I know Chester. He's- well, it doesn't matter. You'll meet them... because you're going, right?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I think you and Tom would be great friends!"

"Really?"

"Really?" Daisy said in a deep, monotone voice. It took Nick a moment to realize that she was intimating him.

"Daisy, this is serious," Nick snapped. "I can't-"

"This is serious," Daisy mocked in her "Nick" voice. Nick groaned.

"Please Nick," Daisy pleaded. "For me? And for you. I know it'd do you good to meet some more people. And Tom's captain of the basketball team, so maybe he can teach you some stuff?"

Daisy obviously wasn't understanding how much Nick didn't want to do go. But he did anyway. For Daisy. And himself. And the infamous East Prep social pyramid.

Association was the foundation of the social pyramid. No one was ever alone and no one ever ventured outside their normal circle of friends. If they were to experiment with talking to others, the pyramid could collapse and send the school into chaos. Thus, everyone stuck to what they found familiar.

Nick was almost certain that the only reason Daisy pushed him and Tom together was for fear of this imaginary pyramid. She was helping Nick to find his place in it. And Nick wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Tom insisted on picking Nick up. Nick owned no car, thus he didn't have very many options. So Tom Buchanan picked him up at five. He was the owner of an extremely nice car. This wasn't surprising to Nick, as most kids at East Prep came from money. The car's interior was neat and clean.

Nick took the passenger seat, though he'd rather not had gotten in the car to begin with.

"Hey," Tom said as he pulled away from Nick's house. Nick couldn't help but look back at it longingly. "So, Daisy wanted me to tell you that she's sorry she couldn't come." Nick nodded.

"Yeah, she's got some art class on Wednesday's."

"Daisy does art?"

"She does it. Not well, but she does it." A smirk crept across Tom's lips. "Don't tell her I said that."

"Said what?" Nick asked innocently. He was totally caught off guard. Tom's intensity and chaotic energy had almost completely disappeared. As they drove down the road, faint music drifted from the speakers, Tom seemed relaxed for the first time since Nick meant him.

This was both a relief and disappointment to Nick. On one hand, Tom's laidback attitude had greatly helped Nick's anxiety about the whole situation. But on the other hand, Tom Buchanan was actually smiling at him. Nick catch a glimpse of the Tom that his cousin seemed so infatuated within this smile. He decided that he really liked it.

"We're also gonna have to go pick up a friend of mine," Tom explained. "If you don't mind."

"No, not at all. And thanks by the way."

"No problem."

Mindless banter filled the rest of the car ride. Tom discussed basketball and about he was captain of East Prep's varsity team. He kept talking about this for most of the ride, not giving Nick a chance to respond.

Tom pulled into a shopping center in a part of town Nick had yet to venture into. Several clothing stores incircled them as Tom found a place to park. And then they waited.

As they waited, Nick watched Tom out of the corner of his eye. The more they sat there, the tenser Tom's muscles became. The smile that Nick had grown attached to slowly disappeared. Out of nowhere, someone hit to roof of the car. Tom and Nick jumped around in their seats to see what's made the noise. Coming along the driver's side of the car was a curvy, red-haired girl.

She walked right up to Tom's window and roughly knocked her knuckles against the glass. Tom rolled down the window. The red-haired girl stooped down to peer inside.

"Hey Tommy," she said in a smooth, slow voice reminiscent of molasses. She leaned inside the car's window and kissed him.

Nick was caught off guard for obvious reasons. Bewildered, Nick half excepted Tom to pull away. He didn't, however, and the kiss preceded to be long enough for Nick to become extremely uncomfortable.

When the two finally pulled apart, the red-haired girl noticed Nick in the passenger's seat.

"The fuck is he?" she asked Tom.

"A friend," Tom quickly explained. "Now get in, we're already late."

For what, Nick thought. Basketball?

The red-haired girl introduced herself on the way to the court. Her name was Myrtle and she was apparently Tom's girlfriend.

"Yep," Tom had mumbled in agreement when Mrytle announced this. He shot Nick a threatening look and suddenly Nick had decided to wait until he told someone.

Myrtle was a senior at West High. She was a beautiful, weighty girl, with electrifying confidence in her every move. It made Nick insecure just being in the same car as her. He was almost jealous. Almost.

Myrtle soon started to complain about a boy, George, that Nick was almost certain was her other boyfriend. She said he'd driven her to the mall for a date but hadn't bought her anything in the process. Tragic.

The air hung thick in Tom's car for the rest of their drive. Myrtle was oblivious to this and talked throughout the whole ride, but the tension was all to clear for Nick and Tom.

Nick was in a total state of confusion. Why the hell would Tom introduce him to Myrtle? Why would he let Nick know that he was cheating on his cousin? And if Tom really disliked Daisy that much, why didn't he just break up with her?

Maybe the social pyramid that held East Prep's student body together also held Tom Buchanan. He felt obligated to be with Daisy because it felt right to be with her. It felt right with the universe to be in a relationship with her because that's what was supposed to happen!

Nick was starting to hate how the society of East Prep functioned.

The courts were relatively empty beside another group of teenagers. Tom pulled up next to them and quickly exited the heavy tension of the car. Myrtle followed, along with Nick, whose stomach was churning nervously.

"Tommy!" one of the teens yelled. His voice was loud and obnoxious. Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and prepared for a long evening.

The boy slapped Tom on the back rather hard. He seemed to have done it in good nature, but Tom looked annoyed anyway. The two other teens, both girls, countered Myrtle on each side. They started to chatter amongst themselves until one of them noticed Nick.

A hush fell over the group and it lasted about two seconds longer than Nick would have liked.

"Nick Carraway," Tom said finally. "Nick, this is Chester, Lucille, and Catherine."

"Hey," Nick managed. The girls immediately starting chatting to him in unison. Tom and Chester slowly backed away, finding the basketball and shooting some hoops.

"Hey Nick," Catherine said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Myrtle's sister."

"Half sister," Myrtle quickly corrected as she wandered onto the court with her boyfriend. Lucille followed and excitedly pointed out how good Chester's biceps looked. Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Half sister," she said. "Yeah. So are you new in town or something? I've never heard Tom talk about you before! Do you go to East Prep..."

Nick regretted coming all together. He was so anxious, it was taking all his self-control not to vomit all over Lucille and her stupid questions.. He regretted his decision, even more, when Tom pulled a case of beer out of his car.

"Poor Myrtle," Catherine said after her second drink. She was leaning most of her weight into Nick's right side, which he didn't appreciate. "Poor Tom."

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked with caution.

Tom and Chester were busy taking turns picking up Myrtle and Lucille. Tom bent over, wrapped his arms around Myrtle's thighs, and swung her over his shoulder. Myrtle screeched and cackled as Tom spun her in a circle.

Nick assumed this was a way for the two young men to assert strength. Or something like that. He really wasn't sure.

"They're so unhappy with who they're dating, you know," Catherine continued. Before Myrtle and Tom started going out, Tom would always say that all Daisy does is bitch about how she doesn't want to fuck him. And Myrtle used to say that George was a total wimp. He couldn't fight back if the world depended on it. I think they'd go crazy if they didn't have each other."

"So why don't they just break up with them?"

"Well, if dating someone got you a good rep when you can't get one yourself, would you break up with them?"

Yes. But Nick didn't say that out loud.

After Catherine's comment about Tom and Mrytle's relationships, Nick could almost grasp why social status was such a must in East Prep. It made you look good in the eyes of everyone else but those who really knew you. It made you loved. Who didn't want to be loved?

"Does Tom always talk about Daisy like that?"

"Daisy?" Myrtle exclaimed from the court. She marched over to Catherine and Nick, Tom on her heels. "Why the fuck are we talking about her?" She was suddenly in Nick's face and he flinched away. Mrytle's breath smelled of beer.

"She- uh... I don't-" Nick stuttered.

"Oh Daisy, Daisy, Daisy," Myrtle mocked. "That's how Tom sounds when he's making up excuses on why he isn't coming to see me."

"Myrtle!" Tom snapped in a warning tone. Suddenly, the relaxed Tom Buchanan from earlier that night was gone. The chaos of the Tom that Nick was most familiar with overpowered him. Nick watched helplessly as Myrtle and Tom stood in chaotic energy that crackled like lighting around them.

"I've told to you-" Tom started.

"Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. You don't ever hear me talk about George like that!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!"

"Myrtle!"

"DAISY!"

It took two seconds for Tom's fist to make contact with Myrtle's nose. There was a nauseating crack and suddenly Myrtle was lying on the ground.

"Let's get out of here," Tom said to Nick. Nick had no choice but to go with him. Tom was his ride after all.

Tom Buchanan left Mrytle bleeding on the pavement of a basketball court. Nick hated that. He hated that Tom treated her like that. He hated that he treated Daisy the way he did. They deserved better.

After the longest and quietest car ride of Nick's life, he arrived home. They'd just left Myrtle there, without anyone but a few wasted teenagers. It made Nick nauseous. Without so much as a glance, Nick raced into his home and locked the door behind him.

***

Nick had started to notice something strange. Every Friday afternoon, several deliveries were made to his neighbor's house. They came in half a dozen trucks and took hours to unload. Every Saturday night, cars would appear parked up and down the street and in the neighbor's yards. Noise would emit from Nick's neighbor's home until the earliest hours of the morning, and then they would suddenly silence for all Sunday.

It was an odd cycle.

Nick eventually asked Jordan about it. She told him he was an idiot.

"That's Jay Gatsby's house!" she said the next day in first period. "Duh!"

"How was I supposed to know that?!"

"Uh, you could ask. Or actually, go to one of his parties!"

"If I went, would you be there?"

"Duh."

"Good, because..." Nick pulled an envelope out of his backpack. "I've been invited."

Jordan eagerly snatched the envelope out of his hands.

"Jay rarely invites people," Jordan explained as she pulled out the letter. "Everyone usually just shows up." The letter in question was odd because it was surprisingly formal for a house party. It granted Nick free passage for life to all Jay Gatsby's parties. Nick wasn't really sure what he'd done to be granted that honor.

"This is fucking insane," Jordan said. She stuffed the letter back into the envelope and gave it back to Nick. "It's decided. You're coming."

"I'm what?"

"Buckle up Carraway, we're going to a party."


	3. Jay’s Saturday Night Party

It was a bad decision, to say the least. Jay Gatsby's house was intimidating enough from the outside. But walking up the front steps and entering his home was entirely different. As soon as he walked through the door, Nick was immersed in a whole new world of music, lights, and neon colors.

A gigantic staircase greeted him first, with a spacious living room on the left and a dining room on the right. He was sure everything would look expensive if the lights had been on. There was music playing from somewhere and colored lights flashing from every direction.

Suddenly Nick's senses had been overloaded as he drifted into the living room.

People were everywhere. Nick didn't know who was who or where anyone was coming from. No one stopped moving for anything. Nick swam around in the ocean of people for fifteen terrifying minutes before a familiar face caught his eye.

"Hey! Shithead!" Jordan grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out from the center of the room. "Where have you been?"

"Fucking bitches, obviously," Nick said. Jordan wasn't amused. "Sorry." Rolling her eyes at his apology, Jordan grabbed Nick by the arm.

"Come on," she snapped. "Let's go minge, shall we?"

Jordan talked to everyone present. Quietly, Nick followed her from person to person. He was starting to learn that Jordan had a thing for gossip. Whether it was someone's relationship issues or homelife problems, she was ready to listen. After a few dozen mini conversations, Jordan settled on sitting on a pair of couches that looked onto the pool through huge glass windows.

"Do you think its weird?" Jordan asked him over the roar of the party.

"What?"

"That Jay Gatsby personally invited you to his party, but you two have never met."

"I mean, yeah. I guess."

"Then why would he invite you?"

"Maybe he heard that I moved in next door."

"Wait, you live next door to Jay Gatsby?!"

"Uh- yeah."

"Shut the fuck up."

People and groups cycled in and out the couches, rarely speaking with Nick and going straight for Jordan Baker. Nick caught only bits and pieces of their conversation.

"My girlfriend brought me," one girl said to Jordan. "She's going to East Prep with Gatsby. Doesn't know him though."

"I don't think any of us really know Jay," Jordan said. The other girl rolled her eyes.

"Heard he's preppy as shit," one boy told them, "But shady as hell too. No one trusts him."

"Oh really? Well my brother told me he was the nicest guy from East Prep."

"He likes to fight! Someone said that that's why he left.  He almost killed a kid in a fight! They saw it too!"

The rumors spilled from their lips as easily as running water. No one there However, there was one boy Nick found rather charming. And he was actually willing to speak with him.

"Are you here with Baker?" the boy asked him. He took a seat on the couch beside Nick without warning. 

"She's the only person here that I know," Nick explained to the best of his ability. The boy's enamoring features stunted Nick's ability to form complete thoughts.

Tousled blonde hair than shifted gracefully when his head made cocky movements. Tan skin that was unblemished and smooth. Piercing blue eyes that sharp and kind all at once.

Nick's face grew hotter every time the boy smiled. Fuck, he had an amazing smile. Parties weren't really Nick's thing, but he decided that at least getting a handsome stranger's number would make the whole night worth it.

Well, that was if this stranger was into guys.

"Seriously?" Cute Boy asked. "Did you just move here or something? It's kinda hard not to know people around here. All everyone does is socialize."

"Actually, yeah. I just got here. Moved in next door."

Cute Boy blinked, seemingly not understanding. 

"So... you're Nick Carraway?" he asked. 

"I uh- yeah?"

Cute Boy smiled and once again rendered Nick completely useless.

"Jay Gatsby," he said, holding his hand out to Nick. "It's great to finally meet you!"

"Gatsby...?" Nick slowly shook Cute Boy's hand. "You're Jay Gatsby?"

"Surprised?" Jay asked. He cocked an eyebrow at Nick. Nick's stomach clenched. "Not disappointed though, right?"

That totally sounded like flirting right? Was Jay Gatsby flirting? Nick quickly dismissing the thought as wishful thinking.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduced myself early." The noise of the party was nothing compared to Jay's voice. It was all Nick could hear. "I just assumed you knew what I looked like, but that was kinda stupid. You and Daisy are cousin's, right? I've seen you hanging out with her around the school."

"Yeah, second cousins,"  was all Nick could summon to say. 

"Cool! Yeah, I've been meaning to introduce myself since I heard you'd moved in. You know, I lived in this neighborhood for forever, but it has a park that I-"

"Hey Gats!" Jordan Baker shouted from the other couch. Jay whirled around to see who called him and waved.

"Jordan!" he exclaimed happily. "I need to talk to you."

"Uh, Okay." Clearly, Jordan had had something else in mind to talk to Jay about, but he'd beat her to it. Shooting Nick an apologetic look, Jordan left with Jay into his front room and up the magnificent staircase, leaving Nick all alone.

All everyone did was talk to each other. Jay had a point. Why was there such an emphasis on who knew who and who spoke with who? It was as if everyone pitted their worth on who they associated with.

Nick didn't feel that at Jay's party. He watched the people gathered around the pool, drinking and laughing as they pushed each other in. There was no way they all knew each other. And judging by the amount of drinking that was taking place, no one really cared either.

Jordan and Jay were gone for almost an hour before Nick saw Jordan again. She returned to the couches with a drink and a dazed look on her face. Sitting down beside Nick, she took a long swig of her drinking before recounting her strange meeting.

"It was weird," Jordan told Nick. "He started leading me around the house, then into this library, and then he just..."

"Just... what?"

"Nothing bad! Trust me, you'll be hearing all about it later. He wants to take you to the neighborhood's park tomorrow."

Nick choked, even though he hadn't had anything to drink all night.

"He what?!"

"Just to hang out or something."

And just like that, Nick lost Jordan once again. She continued her gossipy conversations with the fandoms of the party. Of course, she might have know them. But as Nick watched her nod and pretend to be invested in the conversations, he began to seriously doubt that.

It was almost one in the morning before Nick decided that it was a good time to leave. He'd followed Jordan around long enough that he was starting to get bored. Jay Gatsby caught him in the foyer just as he was going.

"Nickie!" Jay jogged over to him from the dining room. Under any other circumstances, the nickname would have sounded awlful. But it was perfect coming from Jay. Nick couldn't help but smile as the other boy said his goodbyes.

"Thanks for coming! I hope you enjoyed it! Oh, and uh- don't forget. I'll see you around three-ish tomorrow for the park, okay?"

"Sounds awesome!"

Nick wanted to kick himself as he walked home. Sounds awesome. Could he have sounded more idiotic?

In conclusion, Nick's night was odd. He'd spoken with new people... he'd watched Jordan speak with knew people. And Jay Gatsby wanted to go to the park with him tomorrow. That, by far, was the oddest thing about the night.

But Nick wasn't complaining. How could he? A walk in the park with Jay Gatsby. What could go wrong?


	4. Nick and Jay's walk in the park

Walking in the park with Jay Gatsby was not how Nick thought he was going to be spending his Sunday. As Nick got dressed that afternoon, he couldn't help but grow anxious. What the fuck were they gonna talk about? What if it was just a bunch of awkward silence?

Just as Nick was reaching the climax of his worrying, Capone started barking. This was followed by a knock at the door.

Nick hurried downstairs, only stopping for a moment to check his hair in the mirror and straighten his jacket. Capone met him at the bottom of the stairs. She jumped up on her hind legs in an attempt to get his attention.

"Shut up," Nick told her. Capone did not shut up, of course. "I know, I know. I got it!" He walked over to the front door with Capone at his heels.

He opened the door opened to reveal none other than Jay Gatsby. Capone beat Nick to a greeting. She immediately jumped onto his legs and barked happily. Jay's eyes light up.

"Hi puppy!" he said in a baby voice that most people would save for their own pets. Jay sat down in the doorway and let Capone climb into his lap. He looked up at Nick as Capone licked his face.

"What's up Carraway?" he asked with a smile. Goddamn, that smile.

"Hey," was all Nick managed to muster.

"Who's this?" Jay asked, scratching Capone behind her ears.

"That's Capone." Nick grabbed her leash on a table next to the door. "Would you mind if we took her with us?"

"Are you kidding? Of course we're taking her!"

Nick bent down and attached Capone's leash to her collar. She paid him no attention, taking another lick of Jay's face. With a quick laugh that nearly made Nick's knees buckle, Jay gave Capone one last pet before standing up.

Fuck. This was going to be a long day.

The walk to the park wasn't so bad. Jay talked enough to fill the silence and Nick was more than happy to listen. A chilling January breeze blew just soft enough to rustle the branches of the trees surrounding them.

"Did you have a good time last night?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Nick said. "Your house is awesome. I can't believe your parents let you have parties there all the time."

"As long as nothing illegal is going on." Jay shrugged, like parents allowing their teenage kids to host parties was totally normal. "My dad is cool with just about anything."

"But... wait-" He tried to stop their walk, Capone simply ignored him and tugged on her leash aggressively to continue onward. This pulled Nick forward awkwardly, causing him to trip over himself.

His face grew hot once he heard Jay's soft chuckle.

"What?" Jay asked.

"What about all the beer? A whole lot of underage drinking goes on at your place and-"

"Hold up Nickie. There's no alcohol at my parties."

Capone wandered over to Jay and sat in front of him. Nick knew she was asking for pets and bent down to scratch her. Just as he moved, Jay did the same, reaching out to give Capone some attention. Nick quickly straighten himself back up.

"Are you sure about that? Because a lot of people get drunk off their assses at your-"

"My Dad wouldn't let me have the parties if there was alcohol there. I don't even think we keep it in the house."

"Oh... so when people get drunk at your parties, they're not really-"

"They never asked about it," Jay put it simply, "so I just let them think whatever."

Their neighborhood was pretty in January. That's what Nick discovered as they made their way down the sidewalk. Bare trees and dead grass framed the homes and road. To someone walking alone, the dead plants might have appeared to be eyesores. Nick thought the same thing when he had first moved in.

But somehow, Jay Gatsby brought a sort of enchantment into the streets of their neighborhood. The bounce in his step somehow made the remaining winter colors brighter. The glint of his eyes betrayed his every emotion, all of which were positive and entertaining to follow.

"Why do you have all those parties?" Nick asked him. He could see a sign in the distance that read "West Egg Park".

It didn't surprise him that he hadn't noticed it before. The park was in the opposite direction of his route to school. And Nick hadn't been very interested in exploring his new neighborhood when he'd first moved in.

"Because I can."

Nick snorted at Jay's response. After the other boy gave him a knowing look, Nick realized that Jay was being serious.

"Oh, okay."

Capone tugged stubbornly on her leash in an eagerness to reach the park. She led the two boys passed the welcoming sign and down a pathway that snaked along the ground.

"Also," Jay started, "parties are just fun." He shoved his hands in his pockets as the wind picked up. Nick couldn't help but noticed that Jay's entire face was growing red from the cold. His eyes watered slightly and he was beginning to sniffle every few seconds.

Nick couldn't understand why Jay looked more endearing than sick to him. That made no sense at all.

"Depends on the person," Nick said.

"You don't like parties?"

"Not really. Your's was actually pretty fun though."

"Thanks!"

Capone broke an awkward beat of silence with an aggressive bark at a squirrel.

"Nickie, you're new in town, right?" Damn, that nickname was going to kill him. "So can you tell me something?"

"What?"

"Everyone at school acts weird, right? Like, they all kind of... go where they think they should be?"

East Prep's social pyramid. The first thing Nick had noticed when he'd arrived.

"Yeah...?"

Capone pawed at Jay's leg, looking for any sort of affection from him. He quickly sat down in the middle of the park's pathway and let Capone climb into his lap. Jay then looked up at Nick expectantly, waiting for him to join them. Only when Nick sat down with them did Jay continue.

"Before I moved, I didn't see anything wrong with how East Prep worked or whatever. But like... as soon as I got back, things were just weird. People there just cling to each other like their lives depend on it. It's all about who you're friends with. Everyone knows everyone's business. It's so stupid."

"I think that's why I throw parties," he said. "At my parties, you can hardly see or hear anyone. So people just have fun and don't care about that kinda stuff. It's really refreshing."

Saying that his mind was blown would be putting it lightly. Nick was almost convinced that he was the only one who had noticed the social trends of East Prep. He gawked at Jay in shock.

"I didn't know anyone else noticed that," Nick told him.

"Well I guess that some people are so far in the problem, they can't really see it clearly anymore. I mean, I only figured it out once I moved back into town. And you're new!"

"There's also another thing I've noticed since I've moved back," Jay went on. "I uh- I don't know if you know this, but Daisy and I used to be going out."

"Oh."

"And I want to ask her out again."

Oh.

"You know she has a boyfriend... right?"

"Uh- yeah. I've heard. But like, I just..."

Jay's voice trailed off. He absently ran his fingers over Capone's fur. The dog had found a rather comfortable spot in Jay's lap and preceded to rest there.

"I really like her Nick," Jay breathed. Not Carraway. Not Nickie. Nick. It sounded like music to Nick's ears when Jay said it. "I know she's probably moved on, but even if there's still even the slightest chance that she still likes me... I just want to give it a shot. And I need help."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"You're her cousin! And we're neighbors! It's perfect!" Perfect wasn't the word Nick would use.

"So like, what do you want me to do exactly?"

"I dunno man. Just invited her over or something, then I'll come over and then BAM!"

Nick waited for more of the plan to come after Jay's dramatic sound-effect. But nothing happened.

"Is it true you beat the shit out of some kid?" Nick said, recalling a conversation from the previous night's party. "And that's why you moved?"

"I moved because of my Dad's work," Jay answered Nick's questions quickly, almost sounded offended that Nick would think so little of him. "Then I was in Europe this summer. I didn't beat up anyone. Who told you that?"

"It's was just rumors," Nick said. "Some people were talking about it last night."

"Oh."

Capone had grown bored of Jay's lap and began wandering in a circle around them. She eventually found a stick about the length of Nick's forearm and dropped it, saliva and all, into Jay's crosses legs.

Nick half-excepted him to be repulsed by the gesture, but Jay instead threw the stick across the grass and let Capone chase after it.

"Your dog?"

While Nick had been distracted by his dog, Tom Buchanan had come jogging up the park's pathway. He was dressed for a workout, which meant that his muscular arms were on display via tank top.

Nick tried hard not to stare. He really did.

"Hey," Nick said from down on the ground. "Yeah, she's mine." He gestured to Capone, who was returning to them proudly with her stick. Nick reached out to greet her, but she swiftly ignored him and ran right to Jay.

"She's cute," Tom said. Hearing him say the word "cute" was a strange thing to experience. Nick assumed that he must call Daisy cute every now and then. But Capone? Sure, she was absolutely adorable, but it was odd to hear someone like Tom say it out loud.

Nick's eyes met Jay's from across the pathway. He was in the middle of wrestling the stick away from Capone.

'Do you know him?' Nick mouthed. Jay shook his head "no". He didn't know who Daisy's boyfriend was. Fuck.

"Tom, this is Jay," Nick told Tom, "he's my neighbor."

"Jay Gatsby?" Tom asked, eyeing Jay on the ground.

"The one and only," Jay told him.

"Nice to meet you," Tom said, holding out his hand to Jay. Jay shook it.

"Tom is my cousin's boyfriend." Nick tried his best to mention this as casually as possible. As soon as he did, Jay let go of Tom's hand.

"Nice to meet you too," he said. Nick could tell he forced the comment out. Jay then quickly grabbed Capone's stick and threw it over his shoulder. Capone galloped happily after it.

"What are you doing on the ground?" Tom asked.

"Talking," Jay retorted.

"Um okay." Tom looked around them as if another prompt for conversation would just fall from the trees. "I'll see you around then?"

"Yeah," Nick said with a small smile. Tom gave him a nod, and with that, ran off. By complete accident, Nick found his eyes trailing after Tom as he left them. Once he realized this, he stopped and looked back at Jay.

To Nick's surprise, Jay was also watching Tom leave. He wore a frustrated grimace that Nick found oddly adorable.

"He's hotter than I am," Jay suddenly concluded. Nick nearly choked on his own breath.

"What?!" he asked.

"That's why Daisy is with him. His level of good-lookingness matches her level of good-lookingness." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Thinking back on the conversation they just had together, Nick decided that it did make sense in some strange way.

A smirk grew across Jay's lips.

"But do you know who else matches her level of good-lookingness?" he asked Nick.

"You?" Nick guessed without thinking. He quickly regretted it. Holy shit. He'd just said that out loud!

Jay smiled his winning smile, making Nick's worries melt away.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "So I've still got a chance!"

*******

Jordan lived with her great aunts. Aunts. Plural. When Nick was first told this, he assumed the two women to be sisters. It was only made known to Nick when Jordan picked him up that afternoon to hang out that they were in fact married.

She quickly made to clear that no "homophobic bs", as she put it, was to be tolerated.

"I've brought people over that have been so fucking rude to them," Jordan had told Nick. "We have a rule now that friends have to stay in my room while we're hanging out, which sucks because the good TV is in the living room. Do you play Mario Kart?"

Not only was Nick surprised to find out that Jordan was an avid gamer, but he was also surprised to be getting his ass beat at Mario Kart.

"Of course Jay and Daisy used to date," Jordan said as she rammed Bowser into the back of Nick's Baby Mario for the hundredth time. "Have you met them? They're practically the same person! All happy and social and shit."

"Why'd they break up?"

"Jay moved and they didn't want to date long distance, according to Daisy. But literally, everyone has a different story about what happened. Mine is that Jay was abducted by an alien race and replaced by their queen in order to infiltrate Earth."

Nick tore his eyes away from the television screen to give Jordan a concerned look.

"What in the fuck?" he asked.

"I'm joking," Jordan told him, "and you lost again." Nick looked back at the TV just in time to see Bowser cross the finish line.

"I don't blame Jay for wanting Daisy back," she continued. "I really don't blame him at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

With a shrug, Jordan moved her thumbs on her controller, starting a new race.

"You know, he texted me after you guys hung out." Jordan picked Sweet Sweet Canyon again. It was one of her favorites, Nick was learning. "I told him that we were hanging out later, which might have been a mistake."

"Why's that?"

"Because he's come up with a master plan."

"Please tell me it's better than me just inviting Daisy over, then he shows up."

Their new race began. Sweet Sweet Canyon always made Nick hungry for sugar. Obviously. That was the whole point of the race course. While Nick has been admiring the pastel colors and sweeties of the game's map, Jordan had already sped to first place.

"Why do you even race with Baby Mario?" Jordan asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

"He wouldn't be in the game if he wasn't important," Nick countered as he pulled into third place.

"It's... he's just so- ugh, never mind."

Nick took second place.

"Jay wants you to invite Daisy over Tuesday, after school," Jordan told him. "He said he's gonna come over after she gets there and say that you forget something at his house. Then he'll get Daisy's number or something."

With a groan from Nick at Jay's plan, Baby Mario road past Bowser into first place just in time to cross the finish line.

"Guess he was important, or whatever," Jordan commented sourly.

"Yeah."

"Nick, it's the first time you've won today and you don't even seem happy about it." Jordan put her chin on her fist and gave Nick a mocking pout. "Is it because Nickie doesn't want to hook his cousin up with some boy?"

Nick cracked a smile at Jordan's teasing.

"I'd rather her be with Jay than with Tom if I'm being honest," he said.

"So what? Are you just jealous then?"

"Of Jay? Jordan, Daisy's my cous-"

"Ew fuck no Nick! I meant of Daisy! I was trying to- oh never mind."

Was Nick jealous of Daisy? For what? Being liked by Jay? Maybe.

"I'm not jealous," Nick said firmly. "But I am gay."


	5. Jay’s awkward encounter

In Nick's opinion, it was a truly awful coming out. He'd told old friends before that he was gay, but those coming outs were much better planned and timed. On the floor of a girl's bedroom with Mario Kart theme music blaring wasn't even close to a perfect setting. But to Nick, it had felt right. 

Jordan took the news well, thank god. She'd given Nick a ride home after they hung out and as she dropped him off, she'd told him that she felt honored to be trusted with such information.

"Was that sarcastic?" Nick had asked her. Jordan shrugged.

"If I'm being honest," she said, "you could have been an asexual unicorn and I probably wouldn't have given a shit."

"Well, that's good to know. Now I can safely tell you that I'm not actually a gay man, but an omnisexual troll."

Jordan snorted at his joke and waved goodbye for driving off into the night. Damn, it felt good to be out to someone.

Nick was happy until Tuesday rolled around. Jay had gotten his number from Jordan and the constant texts about Daisy really put a damper on his mood.

Nick didn't know what he had been excepting. Maybe Daisy would catch the flu and cancel? Maybe her car wouldn't start that morning? But of course, nothing bad happened. Of course, Nick was going to have to go through with Jay's stupid plan.

Tuesday afternoon, Daisy arrived at Nick's house exactly on time. Capone was the first to make it to the door. She barked to announce Daisy's presence as if Nick hadn't already heard the doorbell.

"You didn't tell me you had a dog!" Daisy whined accusingly as Nick opened the door.

"Hey to you too," Nick deadpanned. Hooking Jay up with his cousin wasn't how he wanted to be spending his afternoon. He forgives out that his part of the plan would require minimum effort, and that's exactly the amount of effort he was going to give.

Daisy rolled her eyes at Nick and a flash her sweet smile. As she strutted into the house, Capone quickly took over welcoming duties.

"Awww!" Daisy cooed. "Can I pet him?" Before Nick could answer, Daisy knelt down on the floor and held her arms out. Capone leaped into them.

"She's Capone," Nick said. Daisy looked from the floor and cocked an eyebrow at Nick.

"What the hell did you say her name was?" she asked. Capone licked Daisy's fingers, begging to be pet.

"Capone Carraway." Nick put his hands up in surrender. "It wasn't me, it was my dad. I swear."

Daisy gave Capone a good scratch behind the ears. She narrowed her eyes at the dog, studying her intensely.

"Very unusual," she concluded, "but fitting."

"How so?"

Daisy turned Capone around in her arms so that Nick could see her face.

"She looks like a Capone," Daisy explained. Nick nodded in agreement.

The subject that they were going to be "study" was math. Obviously. Daisy was under the impression that they were just hanging out and helping each other with the homework. A small part of Nick wished that there was nothing more to it than that.

They were setting up at the kitchen table when the doorbell rang again. Nick put his textbook down at his seat and gave Daisy an apologetic look.

"I'll be right back," he said, leaving them for the door with Capone at his heels. To Nick's disappointment, Jay Gatsby was at the door. His smile brightened as Nick opened the door.

"What's up Carraway?" he asked as he bent down to pet Capone. The greeting already felt routine to Nick, even if Jay had only done it once before. But Nick knew Jay wasn't there for him. He quickly cut to the chase.

"Daisy is in the kitchen," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Stressed." He answered the question as though he'd just been asked what the weather was. The sheer nonchalantness of it all was very concerning to Nick. "But I'll be fine," he added.

"Great. So you're ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The two boys made their way back into the kitchen. Capone ran ahead of them and found Daisy sitting at the table. She laid down at Daisy's feet, rolling over on her back in hopes of a belly rub. But Daisy ignored the dog all together once her eyes met Jay's.

"Oh hey Daisy!" Jay exclaimed. "What are you-"

"My cousin," Nick quickly explained. He turned to Daisy, who's lips were pursed shut. "Do you to know each other?"

Nick's performance wasn't very convincing, to say the least. Between him half-assing it completely and Jay's obvious nerves, Nick was surprised to find that Daisy bought their act at all.

"Yeah, I know Jay," Daisy told Nick. "How... how do you know him? Did Jordan-"

"I live next door now," Jay quickly explained. "I um... yeah."

Daisy nodded vaguely and slowly turned her attention back to Capone. It was obvious she was uncomfortable. Nick looked sideways at Jay to see if he was feeling any sort of remorse. Evidently, judging by the look in his eyes as he gazed at Daisy, Jay did not.

He stopped staring once he realized the room had fallen silent.

"Hey Nickie, do you have any chips?" Jay asked, maybe a little too loudly. Daisy glanced at them again, curious to see if Jay would be staying longer than necessary.

"Uhh... yeah?" Nick answered.

"Great! Let's go get them!" Nick found himself with little time to protest before Jay grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen.

Though they hadn't known each other long, Nick would have never taken Jay as a worrier. But the anxiety was clear in his face the moment they left Daisy behind.

"Shit," Jay muttered once they entered the kitchen. "I can't do this. This was a horrible idea." He turned on his heels to face Nick, who was still taking in the sight of a stressed Jay Gatsby. "What the fuck am I doing here?!"

"Calm down!" Nick told him. "You're doing fine, everything is fine!"

"Everything is not fine!" Jay countered. Nick hushed him.

"Seriously," he said, lowing his voice, "calm down and be quiet. She'll hear you."

Jay nodded and bit down on his lip in an attempt to keep quiet. His eyes darted nervously around the room before meeting Nick's again. Nick gave him a reassuring smile, to which Jay grinned.

"Okay, yeah. I'm being stupid," he finally admitted. His eyes scanned the kitchen. This suddenly made Nick aware of how small his kitchen was compared to Jay's. He was ashamed of how insecure that fact made him. "Where're the chips?"

Nick quickly snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed a bag of Doritos out of the cabinet. He shoved them into Jay's hands as he left the room.

The two returned to the living room to find Daisy seated on the floor by Nick's back door. She was watching Capone pace back and forth across the floor, only pausing to paw at the door. When Nick got closer, she jumped around to bark at him.

"She's gotta take a piss," Nick explained. "I'm gonna take her out." This earned him a distressed look from Jay. But Nick found he didn't particularly care. Jay was the one who wanted the chance to talk with Daisy anyway.

"Oh okay," Daisy said. She scooted out of Nick's way. As soon as he opened the door, Capone rushed ahead of him and out into the yard.

*****

Nick wasn't really sure why he felt jealous, if that was even the right word for what he was feeling. It probably wasn't, right? But really. It wasn't that big of a deal. He didn't even know Jay that well. Why wouldn't he want him to back together with Daisy? He should want them to get together, right?

So then why wasn't this whole situation sitting well with him? When Nick came back with Capone, Jay and Daisy were both sitting on the floor laughing. That didn't sit well with Nick. He hated that.

"He started quoting these Vines that I showed him forever ago," Jay was saying. "Like, my dad can barely remember how old he is, but now that he's drunk in a high-pressure situation, he can suddenly remember 'barbeque sauce on my titties'. And that's not even one was the good ones!!"

Daisy was laughing so hard that her face was beet-red. She gasped for air as Jay continued his story.

"He woke up the next day barely remembering what happened!" he exclaimed.

"Well yeah!!" Daisy said. "He told a waiter that he had barbeque sauce on his..." She was cut off by her own wheezing.

"Nickie!" Jay exclaimed as Nick entered the room. Nick could help but smile. Jay's excitement and the nickname almost made the whole day worth it. 

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Nick asked.

"Don't worry about it," Jay told him, laughing it off. Immediately, Nick was jealous again. "I think I better get going."

"Aww," Daisy whined. "See you tomorrow?"

"Well yeah," Jay told her as he stood. "It's required by law for us to be at school. So you'll see me... unless I die or something."

"Good."

"Walk me out?" Jay asked Nick.

"I guess."

Jay gave one last dramatic wave to Daisy, which she returned with equal drama, and then turned sauntered away with Nick trailing behind.

"I got her Snapchat," Jay mumbled to Nick as soon as they were out of earshot.

"You guys seemed to be hitting it off," Nick said. "Sure you didn't get her pregnant too?"

"Shut up!" Jay slapped Nick's arm. Nick just laughed and opened the door for him. Jay stopped half out of the door and turned back around the face Nick.

"Seriously though, thanks. You didn't have to do this." 

"It's whatever," Nick said with a shrug. "But you owe me one."

"Of course! Anything!"

"Anything?"

"Well... you know what I mean."

"Okay. I guess that's good enough."

"Good. So, see you later?"

"Yep!"

"Cool. Bye."

"Yeah. Bye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is VERY late in being posted. I recently moved out, and that took up a lot of my time. Hopefully, I'll get back to my regular monthly schedule soon. Anyway, thanks for reading :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently reading The Great Gatsby as I'm writing this fic. This story is inspired by the original story of The Great Gatsby, but I've reimagined it for a modern high school setting.
> 
> I was told ahead of time by a friend that I'd end up shipping Nick and Gatsby, but didn't really believe it until I read the book for myself. 
> 
> Going into this, I just wanted to make a quick fanfic about Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby and how they fell in love. Now it's so much more than that.
> 
> I found my love of writing through fanfiction, but once the ships and fictional universes created by other people was no longer enough, I became writing my own original work.
> 
> For the past few months, I've been overwhelmed with life and it's obstacles, and I found myself writing less and less until I wasn't writing at all.
> 
> I am writing this purely for my own fun and to keep up practice. I've taken liberties with the canon of The Great Gatsby, though nothing to extreme, to suit the story I want to tell.
> 
> By the end of this, I hope to be back to writing regularly. And I hope that in the process, whoever reads this will find some joy in it.
> 
> \- addie


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